Token gay

From Conservapedia

A token gay is a homosexual character thrown into a film, television, or Broadway production that has nothing to do with homosexuality. This character serves to reinforce the fabricated idea that homosexuals are everywhere among the general public: as public servants, as friends, and even as family members. Token gays have appeared in the media for more than two decades now, in a coordinated attempt by the obsessiveliberal media to desensitize the public to the idea of homosexuality.

Since the token gay is a politically correct afterthought which is not integral to the plot, he often has only a few lines and a limited presence. Since token gays are not well-developed, they often resemble each other in look and personality and thus are "stock characters" or archetypes.

The depiction of the token gay is usually positive, and at worst neutral, to subconsciously convince viewers that homosexuals have harmless behaviors. If the actions of these token gays were more fleshed out in the plot, the audience would probably conclude that the behavior is reprehensible and harmful to the person and those around him. Yet in showing such limited glimpses of gays, the media has created an overly positive public perception, especially among younger people.

Examples of token gays include the gay cupid, a character who helps a heterosexual couple to slide into romance, and the gay hero, who is selfless and sacrificing of himself over others.